The Black Queen | F. Weasley

14. Orion the black dog

Salem had readied herself for her date with Oliver. Macy had helped her out with picking an outfit and now a beautiful beige coloured sweater, black flared jeans (she had nicked those once from her father's room and found out that they actually looked really nice on her) and Macy's pair of Fila Disruptor.

She even had let Macy put on some makeup on her face for the date. She ran her eyes over her face in the mirror and smiled at herself. She looked pretty.

Macy grabbed Salem by her shoulders and looked her in the eyes seriously. "Are you ready?"

Salem nodded with a grin and wrapped her arms around her best friend. "Thank you for helping me out, Mace. I will return the favour once George gets the balls to actually ask you out instead of admiring you from afar."

Macy's cheeks reddened and she shot a glare Salem's way which only made her chuckle in amusement. "Don't try to deny it, Mace, you like him as well, but you're just scared to ask him if he feels the same way."

The girl simply raised an eyebrow at her friend and crossed her arms over her chest, unimpressed with Salem's observation. "You're one to talk, seeing as you have liked Fred since last year and still haven't told him, even after I told you that he's had a thing for you since first year."

Salem rolled her eyes and scoffed loudly. "Fred doesn't like me that way, if he did he would've already made a move. I've seen him with other girls Mace, he's confident and just walks up to them."

A bitter note had laced her words as she thought back to several girls Fred had taken out during these last couple of years.

Macy looked sympathetically at her friends, she knew that Salem was wrong and Fred merely asked those girls out to keep up pretensions, but not realising it sent the wrong message to the girl he actually liked and who liked him back. She had asked George what his brother was thinking, and according to him apparently not much.

Salem quickly got rid of her thoughts on Fred and a smile, this time more forced, decorated her face. "Let's not think about Fred, I have a date with Oliver in ten minutes."

Macy nodded and gave Salem one last quick hug before pushing her friend in the direction of the door which led to the common room.

They spotted Oliver immediately, he was talking with Fred, George and Lee in a corner near the portrait. Oliver straightened as he noticed the girls nearing them, making the others aware of the two as well.

Oliver grinned at Salem with a faint red tint to his cheeks as he took in her outfit. "You look beautiful."

The girl smiled happily at him. "Thanks Oliver, you look great as well."

Fred fake gagged behind Oliver's back, making George flick him over his head. Salem smoked gratefully at George before looking back at Oliver who was holding out his arm for the girl to take. She laid her hand on his arm and together they walked through the portrait hole and down the flights of stairs in the direction of Hogsmeade.

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They were standing in front of a ghastly pink shop. The windows were fogged up, but the high stacks of all kind of sweets could be made out of through the window. Above the windows and the door in a brighter shade of pink was written Madam Puddifoot's Tea & Cakes. Salem had seen it before, but had never actually paid it a visit. She knew all the rumours about the place though, it was where all the couples came.